The Phillies landed their superstar in Bryce Harper for 13 years, but there's another major name tied to Philadelphia. The Angels' Mike Trout is a big Philadelphia sports fan, and he'll be a free agent in 2021. While Trout -- a once in a generation player -- will command even more than Harper's $330 million and could well end up being baseball's first $400 million player, Harper believes that the Phillies could land the player widely regarded as the best in baseball.
"If you don't think I'm gonna call Mike Trout to come to Philly in 2020, you're crazy," Harper said on Philadelphia's 94WIP on Tuesday.
The Angels, naturally, have taken issue with this pretty blatant pitch from Harper, and they've contacted the league office about Harper's comments, per The Los Angeles Times.
Worth noting, of course, is that Harper and Trout were in contact throughout Harper's free agency. Harper said that he "talked to [Trout] a lot." The fact that he ended up in Philadelphia could either be Trout touting the city near his hometown (Trout grew up an hour away from Philly) and giving Harper a good feel for it, or an omen of things to come.
Whatever the reason, the Angels appear to be trying to nip it in the bud. The thought of these two playing together may seem crazy, but Harper's $26 million per season could end up making it possible if the Phillies are willing to pull out the checkbook one more time.
